Nouneh Sarkissian

As you must have noticed, we are here this evening under the auspices of David Linley who has volunteered to be our host for the launch of Nouneh Sarkissian’s children book, The Magic Buttons. We must in gratitude applaud his gesture.

Nouneh’s debut in the highly competitive English book market is a bold step and worthy of note. For her talent is without doubt easily recognisable, once the book is given the promotion it deserves, and public access is not withheld on the grounds of her anonymity as a newcomer.

Quartet is well known since its inception in the early 1970s as a vibrant and independent publisher, whose aim is to discover new talent and to challenge the Establishment by taking commercial risks which the conglomerates would not entertain.

Nouneh’s addition to our long list of nurturing talent undertaken over the years speaks volumes of our determination to keep the flame of our founding principals alive and to encourage budding writers to take the plunge, despite the numerous odds that can impede their progress. But in the end, quality, innovation and the art of story-telling triumph given time and determination.

As Nouneh’s publisher, I have great faith in our ability to enlighten the reading public, whenever we come across an author whose combination of literary flair and natural flow of language renders a story into a magical tale.

For all these qualities, may I suggest that those of us assembled here this evening pay Nouneh tribute by purchasing more than one copy of her book – given Christmas is calling at the door – and use the purchases to spread the good word and promote the author for her remarkable endeavour.

By showing your generosity now, you will signal that book lovers still exist and, no matter what, the written word will survive the vicissitudes and vagaries of time.